Richard Berlin, a founding member of GRDC, is stepping down after decades of service to the Grandmont Rosedale communities. Richard began his community activism in Grandmont Rosedale when he moved in to Grandmont in 1975. Richard’s first involvement in the neighborhood was as a block captain. Over the years Richard served on the Grandmont Community…

For those who know Chelsea Neblett, GRDC’s Community Engagement Manager for the past four years, it will come as no surprise that when she ran for class president in the 5th grade, complete with a campaign manager and a catchy slogan (“Be a Smartie! Vote for Chelsea!”), she won. Even as an 11 year old,…

According to its website, Oakland Avenue Urban Farm is “The nation’s first ‘Agri-Cultural’ urban landscape in Detroit’s North End.” This combination of urban agriculture and culture is truly unique. This nearly five acre farm, which is a program of the North End Christian Community Development Corporation, was started in 2008 and is a non-profit, community-based…

Most days you can find Cody Williams hard at work at Always Brewing Detroit, the coffee shop familiar to many people in Grandmont Rosedale at 19180 Grand River. On the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 4 – 8pm though, you’ll see Cody at the Northwest Detroit Farmers’ Market instead, offering up organic,…

Dr. Velonda Anderson’s life-long passion for fitness, healthy food, disease prevention, and children’s health has led her down some unexpected paths. Velonda is a professor of nutrition, an author of a nutritional foods cookbook, a nutrition speaker, a program manager for the Detroit Health Department, and a Northwest Detroit Farmers’ Market vendor. She’s also known…

Among the hustle and bustle of the Northwest Detroit Farmers’ Market, you may have heard a young man ask, “Do you have a dog?” He’s pretty persistent with his question because he’s pretty serious about successfully selling his home made dog treats. This earnest vendor is Samme Hejka, and his business is Samme’s Special Dog…

At age 50, Jane Bate found herself in the position of having to reinvent her professional life. Jane was a very successful manicurist at a neighborhood salon in Allen Park. She had a large and loyal clientele, and she lived about a block and a half from the salon. It couldn’t get much better. Then,…

Several years ago, Detroit Public Schools started growing vegetables in raised beds in many of their schools. They also started a large, 2 ½ acre garden called “Drew Farm” at the Charles R. Drew Transition Center, a vocational center for cognitively and physically challenged students. To date, there are 92 garden beds, 6 to a…

Not too long ago, there weren’t many people who had heard of a vegan diet, let alone limited themselves to vegan foods. Lately, though, more and more people know what it is and are willing to give it a try. For some, it’s simply curiosity, for others, more is at stake, like their health, and…

When George Perdue, owner of Bakefiniti and Northwest Detroit Farmers’ Market vendor was a boy growing up in Detroit, he often tried to hang around in the kitchen to watch his mom, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother bake. “They all baked,” he remembers, “and I’d wait for that spatula, that bowl, that bit of batter…